New Delhi | The Supreme Court on Monday deferred the hearing on the bail plea of Shyamkanu Mahanta, an accused in the case concerning the death of Assamese singer and cultural icon Zubeen Garg in Singapore. The matter is now scheduled to be heard in the first week of November.

Mahanta has been in custody since October 2025 and is currently lodged in Baksa jail. He had approached the apex court seeking bail as the trial in the case proceeds. During Monday’s hearing, the Assam government informed the court that the trial was underway and that statements of 94 of the 394 witnesses had been recorded as of August 14.

The government also told the court that several key witnesses based in Singapore are yet to be examined, indicating that the trial is likely to take further time. A fast-track court in Assam has already framed murder charges against four accused, including Mahanta, in connection with Garg’s death.

Garg died in Singapore on September 19, 2025, in an incident that triggered widespread mourning across Assam and the Northeast. One of Assam’s most prominent cultural figures, Garg had a career spanning more than three decades. He recorded songs in over 40 languages and dialects and worked as a singer, composer, lyricist, actor and filmmaker.

His death has since been the subject of a criminal investigation and judicial proceedings in Assam, with the trial continuing before the fast-track court.